Chapter 28
Hawk
They took Sugar’s box to Keys’ room and I met them there.
At first glance it wasn’t much to go on, but there were some old bank receipts, account info, a few pictures, some trinkets, an address book, what looked like an old log or journal, and two phones that were dead, but Keys had every phone cord since the invention of cells.
I opened the address book, but my mind was still reeling about earlier. Flipping mindlessly, I finally put it down. “Coop, look through this. See if any names jump out, any cross references, you know the drill.”
Keys was fishing out the phone cords to charge the phones. “I’ll get these fired up and pull the data. It may take a few days, depending on how old they are and how much was deleted.”
Keys told me a long time ago, deleting things did fuck-all. There wasn’t really a way to delete anything so much as move it to a less obvious place. Most hackers worth their salt could recover anything except physical paper.
Heading to the door, I stopped before I left. “Get some shut eye. We may have a busy few days ahead.”
They both nodded, but neither made a move to get up.
Instead, Keys kept looking for the cords.
Coop opened a document on one of the screens in front of him, labeled it “Address Book,” then opened the pages.
Shaking my head, I left them to it. If it wasn’t for the tension with Kat, I’d probably be still at it.
But I didn’t want to go to bed with this unresolved.
Walking back through the bar, the place was still humming. It was winding down and some of the bunnies were working on their evening plans, but it wasn’t rowdy.
My officers weren’t around, but Falcon and Eagle had ridden home earlier and Red and Rooster had been up early. They’d done rounds at the bar and club, then were stuck with me and Niko most of the afternoon.
Sugar was at the bar, eyes puffy. I walked over. “Why don’t you call it a night? I think Katie can handle it from here on out.”
She shook her head. “Thanks, but I don’t got nothing better to do. Plus, too wound up to sleep.”
Looking around, I joked, “I’m sure one of these guys can wear you out.”
She shrugged. “Maybe. Just not feeling it.”
Giving a tight grin, I patted the bar. “Suit yourself. I’m going home.”
“Good luck.” She scoffed before turning to grab a glass and shooting water into it before taking a sip.
Instead of getting snippy, I told her, “Thanks. I probably need it.” Being around all these women was making me soft. Or so many women around was making them all feral.
As I walked back to my house, pulling a drag from my cigarette, I thought about how I could approach this.
Kat certainly wasn’t just my wife or some random woman.
She was an energy force. One with a huge pull on me.
But she was also thrown into this life with no idea of what it was like.
She warmed up to the ladies, and Ma took a quick liking to her.
Hell, even Penny was nice to her and she’s not nice to anyone.
But being patched in was more than hanging with the bunnies and helping with meals.
It wasn’t an attack on her to wait. If anything, it was giving her time to learn the ropes so when she did step into the role, she wouldn’t feel out of place or unsure of herself.
It was a duty to even be property of the club at all, but to be the First Lady was more than that.
It was a huge obligation. A burden. One that would follow her the rest of her life.
I just had to make her understand this delay wasn’t a dishonor to her. It would be a disservice to bestow that upon her now.
As I approached the porch, I flicked my cigarette away and keyed in the code on the door. Inside was quiet. As I hung up my cut, I considered whether I should wake her or just slide into bed and we could talk in the morning.
But as I turned, something caught my eye. Something not normally there.
My eyes adjusted, and neatly piled on the couch was a folded blanket and a pillow from our room.
What the fuck?
Stomping down the hall, I made it to the door and went to open it, but the knob didn’t budge.
“Son of a bitch,” I said under my breath. I leaned on my heel for a minute, shaking my head then got closer. “Kat. Open the door.”
I waited and didn’t hear any movement.
“Katarina. Unlock the door.” My jaw clenched as I tried it again like it would magically turn this time.
Nothing.
My heart was racing as my blood heated my skin. Pounding three times, I said louder, “Open the door.”
Finally, I heard stirring in the room but no footsteps, and when I tried the door again, still locked.
“Last chance. Open the fucking door!”
“Fuck you!” she called from the room, definitely not by the door.
My chest rose and fell as I stepped back, balled my fist, then kicked the door right by the knob, sending it flying open and slamming the wall as splintered wood flew through the air.
She didn’t make a sound but stood up and grabbed something off the table. I didn’t see what it was until I was in her face and it was in mine.
Staring over the edge of a blade, I demanded through gritted teeth, “Put that down.”
“Make me,” she answered, her dark eyes nearly black. The glow from the bathroom light illuminated her flushed cheeks, but I was pretty sure it was from anger, not excitement.
Still, this wasn’t okay. “Are you crazy? Pulling a knife on me? I said put it down.” I reached for it, but she moved, the tip now at my gut. “Fucking hell,” I said as I tried to grab her wrist again. She ducked, then somehow ended up behind me.
“And I said make me,” she seethed as I turned.
This little game was pissing me off, but it was hard to stay focused while she stood there in her little silky pajamas, nipples pebbled and staring at me through the thin top.
“Goddamit, Kat. How do you expect me to talk to you when you’re pointing a knife at me? I’d never threaten you and I don’t appreciate this fucking disrespect in my own fucking house!”
“There!” she said, holding the knife higher but brandishing it like it was her pointer finger.
“There what?” I yelled as I stepped closer. “Will you calm the fuck down?”
Her eyes went wide. “Even though you don’t see me as much more than them, I’m not one of your bunnies, and you will not tell me to calm the fuck down.
” She was shaking, but again, I didn’t think she was scared; she was just so angry it was vibrating through her.
“And how dare you talk to me about disrespect.” Her whole face was red now, her eyes slits.
“Look, fuck Jeannie. Alright? I don’t know what her problem is but I’ll banish her from here if it makes you feel better.”
She cackled, and now I was a little scared.
She’d already proved she could outmaneuver me and was waving that knife around.
“I will banish her if I want to,” she said between her maniacal laughter.
“I don’t even care about her. And I can’t tell if you’re really that obtuse or you’re just really bad at accepting responsibility. ”
Wiping my hand down my face, I asked, “Then what the fuck is your problem? Why the fuck was the door locked?”
“What the fuck is my problem?” she asked, the Russian coming out. “What the fuck is myyy problem?”
She shook her head and seemed to be relaxing her muscles, so I took a step closer. That only tensed her up again.
“I told you before, Hawk. I didn’t sign up to be your little plaything. I am the daughter of Nikolai Petrov, Sr. and I will not be treated like your whore and laughed at.”
“My whore? What the fuck are you talking about, Katarina? You’re my wife!” I shouted. “Everyone knows it! I don’t have you locked away here waiting on me. Shit!”
“So you’re not stupid, you’re just not used to taking responsibility. I understand not giving in to me out there,” she yelled, pointing the knife in the direction of the clubhouse. “But in here? You can’t even speak honestly to me here? In your house.”
“Sorry, but it is my house,” I said, tapping my chest with both hands. “Maybe yours and mine, but mine all the same! And how can I talk to you when you’re waving a knife around in my face?” I shouted.
“If I wanted to hurt you, I would have already done it!” she yelled, flinging the knife across the room.
I instinctively ducked, but it wasn’t close enough to hit me. Turning back, the knife was sticking out of the wall, clear on the other side of the room.
I slowly righted myself, my hands up in surrender. “Thanks for not aiming that at my heart.”
“You make jokes? Now?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and covering the distractions poking through her top. Her blonde hair was slightly messy, reminding me of how she looked first thing in the morning.
Sighing, I put my hands on my hips and rolled my head back. “Pops, give me strength.”
“You humiliated me,” she said, the fight leaving her voice. “And you let that woman humiliate me.”
Stepping closer, needing to touch her, I tried to grab her shoulders but she moved from my grasp. “No, Hawk. You can’t just sweet talk your way out of this.”
“Believe me, nothing about me is feeling sweet right now.” The fire in her created a mix of heat and desire – and something unnerving and unsteady– within me. “Kat, please.”
She shook her head. “If you won’t leave, then I will.”
“And go where?” I ran my hand through my hair. “What do you want me to say?”
“Nothing you don’t want to say to me, Hawk.” She stared at me for a moment, her scowl melting away, the edges of her mouth turning down. “I’ll be on the couch.”
She moved past me and I reached out, but when she pulled away, I let her go.
I stood there as she padded down the hall, then the blanket rustled. After a few seconds, everything was quiet again.
I must have stood in the same place for at least ten minutes. Not sure if I was waiting for her to come back, or just stuck. Clearly I didn’t know what to say to put her at ease. She didn’t want me to touch her. Even if I had something reasonable to say, I didn’t think she’d listen.
Looking over my shoulder, my eyes scanned the bed. One of my pillows was missing, the one on the couch. My spot was all still made up and hers was barely messy, just enough to know she had been there.
Not knowing what else to do, I grabbed her pillow then walked down the hall to the living room. Stepping between the couch and the coffee table, I scooted it away.
“What are you doing?” she asked quietly.
“Making me a spot.” I tossed the pillow down, then kneeled before turning to sit. I took my boots off, moving them out of the way before stretching out on the floor.
“Why are you on the floor? Just go to bed.”
“As long as I’m home, I am sleeping by my wife. Good night, Kat.”
She let out a long sigh, and I hoped maybe she’d say something or suggest we just go to bed, even if we didn’t touch. But she didn’t.
I meant what I said, though. Maybe I didn’t say all the right things, and maybe I wasn’t ready to patch her in, but I had to be near her, even if it meant sleeping on the floor. Hopefully she didn’t stab me in my sleep. But if it’s my destiny to die by her hand, so be it.